Arnaud implied that it was not normal for the Caruana Galizia family to leave the car outside the compound.

In yesterday’s blog, I questioned the evidence given by Superintendent Keith Arnaud regarding the time the bomb was placed in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s car because from what Vince Muscat told the police and from what was reported by Reuters in 2018, the three alleged hitmen were on the scene of the crime on Sunday evening taking their bearings but it was never stated that they placed the bomb on that same day. What had been reported is that the hitmen placed the bomb on Monday between midnight and dawn.  Therefore, why is it only now that Superintendent Arnaud is stating that the bomb was positioned inside the car on Sunday night? The logical question that should be asked is: why did they not place the bomb that Sunday evening but waited till Monday morning?

Even here, there is conflicting evidence. Matthew Caruana Galizia gave two versions of events. The first one was that he did not move the car from where he parked it in late Sunday afternoon. The second version is that he drove the car and upon his return at night, he left it outside. According to what Matthew Caruana Galizia replied to Carlo Bonini’s question as to why he had left the car out, he replied per pigrizia for laziness. To Grey, he stated that he was in his habit (as was  his brother’s ) to leave the car out.

Yet, in yesterday’s compilation of evidence, even this version of events, given by Matthew Caruana Galizia has been put into question as Arnaud stated that and I quote

Therefore, according to this version, it was not habitual for the family to leave the car out but on this occasion, it was just left outside.

Potentially, we here have three different timeframes for when the bomb was placed in the car and three different versions as to why the car was outside on the road on that fatal day. I have already discussed the different timeframes in yesterday’s blog. This time round there are three different versions as to why the car was left out on that night. To Bonini, Matthew Caruana Galizia replied that he was lazy, to Grey of Reuters he answered that he often did so. Then, there is Arnaud’s version that it was not habitual for the family to leave the car outside the compound.

But let us return to the hitmen. The original version was that they returned to Bidnija to plant the bomb. Why has this narrative by the police now changed? In truth, in the past versions, it was stated that they returned, at 1.45 am or at any other time, which could be even later but before sunrise. Again, the timing is very important here.

The hitmen were not sure they would get to the car. They thought that they were going to find the car parked in the compound. For this reason, Vince Muscat explained, that they were thinking of using a leash to control Daphne Caruana Galizia’s dog. This version still stands.

Yet if one has to stick with the narrative that the bomb was placed on Sunday night or early Monday morning, then the family would need to answer a few questions. If the bomb was placed, as Arnaud is stating on Sunday night, were all the members fast asleep or were there members of the family still awake? If one takes Bonini‘s narrative who stated that the bomb was placed at 1.45 am, was any family member still awake at that time? The same question holds if one is prepared to consider that the bomb was placed early in the morning. Were all the members of the family still fast asleep or had some family members started stirring?

According to what Peter Caruana Galizia stated under oath, he had a very busy court schedule that morning. He needed to meet quite a number of clients. Now court starts at 9 am. At what time did Peter Caruana Galizia wake up on that terrible day and leave Bidnija for work? Did he notice anything untoward?

What we know from Reuters is that it was between midnight and sunrise. The version of the police has now changed as they are stating that the bomb was placed on late Sunday evening.

Vince Muscat needs to explain precisely at what time this bomb was placed and if it was placed on Sunday evening why has his version changed?  However, even if it was placed early Monday morning, he needs to give the exact time. What happened in between the two time frames, the one given today in court by Arnaud and the other versions published in the media, which were based on police and court information? Why was the bomb placed on that particular night and not on any other night? Why was the car left outside on that night? Is there a correlation between the time the bomb was planted in the car and what took place at Daphne’s home on that night?

I hope that Vince Muscat (il-Koħħu) has the guts to be honest and say the whole truth.